PORT HADLOCK – Friday morning, Sept. 6, drivers traveling along State Route 116 could experience delays of up to 45 minutes as crews repair navigational lights on the Portage Canal Bridge (also known as the Port Townsend Canal Bridge), located two miles east of Port Hadlock.

Beginning at 9 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 6, crews will use a crane truck to lower signal technicians approximately 100 feet over the side of the bridge so they can access and repair the lights. In order to keep drivers and workers safe, one or both lanes of the bridge will be closed during the work. Drivers could be delayed up to 45 minutes. Flaggers will on site to direct traffic during the closure.

The nature of the repairs will determine how long the task takes. If repairs are limited to relamping the lights, the work could be done by 11 a.m. If other repairs are required, the work and bridge closure/restrictions could extend into the afternoon but all work is expected to be completed on Friday, Sept. 6.

Bridge navigational lights are a means of communicating with mariners in the waterway. Certain combinations of lights provide information about the location of the bridge in relation to the waterway, and are safety features required by the U.S. Coast Guard.